Jordan refuses to let lockdown scandal ruin her comeback
After being accused of breaking strict rules around the coronavirus, Jordan is determined to pull out all the stops to prove she’s a changed woman
She’s been working hard to create a new, more wholesome image and her recent moving TV documentary about life with her disabled son, Harvey, won her a fresh set of fans.
But Jordan’s bid to be taken more seriously was dealt a blow last week as she was mired in a lockdown scandal after travelling over 150 miles on Valentine’s weekend.
The 42-year-old was accused of deliberately misleading her fans after posting on Instagram that she was looking forward to spending Valentine’s Day in a “cosy cabin” built by boyfriend Carl Woods in the back garden of her rented Surrey home. Instead, they drove almost 200 miles to Shropshire to spend the weekend in a luxury woodland cabin. In a further twist, it emerged that photos of Carl, 31, presenting her with a bunch of flowers taken on the doorstep of their home had been taken two days before Valentine’s Day.
FURIOUS
One furious critic wrote an online post – liked thousands of times – which blasted them for apparently breaking coronavirus restrictions on travel. It read, “Lied on a social media post about being at home. And went 150 [miles] to a rented cabin. I’m assuming they will be fined and the owner of the cabin too?”
Police later confirmed that Jordan and Carl “were there for legitimate business purposes and weren’t issued with any fines” after the couple explained they were there for a photoshoot for work, which is allowed under lockdown rules. However, after police then received a barrage of public abuse for not fining the couple, they later released a statement to say they “do not condone” their behaviour.
The drama came after Jordan – real name Katie Price – had seemed to be making efforts to present a more professional front following her wellreceived documentary Katie Price: Harvey And Me, about her 18-year-old son Harvey entering adulthood and gaining more independence.
Reports last week claimed the mum-of-five will now take part in the next series of familyfriendly BBC show Celebrity MasterChef having won praise for her recent documentary.
And insiders say this is just part of a grand plan for Jordan, who has turned her life around since meeting boyfriend Carl last June, following a turbulent few years where she went on a downward spiral of partying and drug-taking.
As a public declaration of her fresh start, earlier this year the former glamour model wrote a goodbye letter to cocaine – three years after she was filmed rapping about loving “coke” and later pictured slumped on the floor.
A source says, “This isn’t just a new chapter for Katie – this is a whole new book! She’s very serious about this change of image and having a fresh start. She’s changed as a person. She’s quit alcohol and is just enjoying the simpler things, like being with her kids, doing day-to-day things with Carl and working on rebuilding herself.
SECURITY
“She thinks it’s a shame that people got the wrong end of the stick about her trip to Shropshire. It was legitimately for work – she’s trying to make the most of any opportunities that come along to get herself back into a good place and offer her family security. She’s determined it won’t ruin her comeback and all the good things that are happening for her now.”
Jordan hit rock bottom in 2018, turning to drugs and alcohol as she battled bankruptcy and a split from third husband, Kieran Hayler. Following a broken engagement to ex Kris Boyson last year, she admitted having suicidal thoughts. After a stint in rehab in January last year she admitted she’d been “slowly going off the rails for 10 years”.
In an interview with Closer last month, Carl admitted he couldn’t stand “the ‘Jordan’ thing” saying, “In truth, if I’d met Katie a few years ago
when she was going through that stage, we wouldn’t have worked out. If she was still her ‘Jordan’ alter ego we would have clashed, because I hate partying.”
REBRANDING
The source says, “What we’ve seen in Katie since last summer is a total rebranding. She’s looking fresh, she’s a new woman who is focused, positive, driven. Carl is a huge part of her motivation to change. She’s transformed herself into his ideal woman – someone confident, calm, and motivated. She wants people to see her in a new light, and be a household name for all the right reasons.”
Meanwhile, pals reveal Jordan – who has made no secret of her desire to have another child – is focused on continuing on this new, healthier path and hopefully adding to her brood.
The source says, “She’s still hoping for marriage and babies and, if she carries on down the same path, then she knows it’ll happen. She wants to be the real ‘her’ from now on and Carl is the perfect person to help her go from strength to strength.” By Daisy McLure
❛ SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO SEE HER IN A NEW LIGHT, AND BE A HOUSEHOLD NAME FOR THE RIGHT REASONS ❜